A couple weeks ago we were given the most amazing opportunity to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Conference at Disneyland in California. For those who aren’t familiar with this conference, it is an invite-only conference for moms (and a few dads) who are influential in the blogger and social media space.
The host hotel for this special event was the Disneyland Hotel. Since we spent quite a bit of time there before, during and after the conference, we knew we had to share our experience with you.
You can watch everything in our Baby Gizmo Travel Video Review below…
or keep reading for more photos…
The Disneyland Hotel is one of the closest hotels to Disneyland and California Adventure. The only thing that stands in-between the hotel and the two Disney parks is Downtown Disney.
A 10 minute walk through Downtown Disney (make sure to stop by Earl of Sandwich – it’s our favorite!) and you are at the parks. If you are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, no need to worry about shuttles or parking when you head to the parks during the day. This is perfect for those families traveling with little ones to easily return to their hotel room in the afternoon for a short nap before heading back to the parks for all the nighttime activities.
ROOM
Our hotel room was perfect for our family of five with two queen beds and a couch that worked as a bed for our youngest child. Decked out with hidden Mickey’s everywhere, this room surely let us know we were in the most magical place on earth. One of our kids’ favorite features of the room was the giant headboard behind the beds that had a light-up carving of the Disney castle for extra fun in the evenings.
POOL
When traveling with kids, more often than not, you are going to check out the pool area. The Disneyland Hotel has a fabulous pool area with a large pool and another smaller pool connected to a water slide area. We were definitely pleased to see that the pool area had lifeguards on duty.
RESTAURANTS
There are two main restaurants on property. (NOTE: Downtown Disney is right next door so you have plenty of eating options there too!)
Goofy’s Kitchen
Goofy’s Kitchen is a character dining experience buffet restaurant that has fabulous food and the kids will love all the character interaction. Here is our full Baby Gizmo review of Goofy’s Kitchen.
Steakhouse 55
While we didn’t have a chance to eat here, we heard that Steakhouse 55 is more of a fine dining restaurant but kids with a love of steak and a more developed palette (and parents with a big vacation budget) will love it.
Other Property Amenities
A well-stocked fitness facility will be appreciated by those workout buffs who don’t push exercise aside on vacation.
A small laundry room will also be appreciated by those parents who just need to wash that last pair of pants that the 4 year old peed in because he just couldn’t make it from the front of the Splash Mountain line to the restrooms in time. At least that’s what I’ve heard. 😉
Forgot a necessity, need a snack or want to pick up one more Disney gift? You can visit one of the two gift stores in the hotel.
OVERALL
While this hotel is more expensive than others in the area, the proximity to the parks might make the cost worth it to most families.
And to top it off, guests of the Disneyland Hotel are welcome to take advantage of the “Magic Hours” of the parks which is when they open 1 hour earlier on specific days just for Disney hotel guests. This is a great way to get on those popular rides without the massive lines. If you are planning to take the family to the most Magical Place on Earth, you may want to consider staying right next door at the Disneyland Hotel.
For more information on the Disneyland Hotel, visit their website.